Macca's Lash Up 2: Lash Harder

[agk]

Far from it. Identical other than a development of the laser mechanism and change of layout inside.

[Macca]

So I've tried 5 different sets of speaker cables and getting nowhere.

Worryingly I couldn't even get back to the sound I had 6 months ago despite replicating that set up exactly.

The sound is lovely and clean but totally unengaging. There is no crunch, and you've gotta have the crunch.

So what was going wrong? Something must not be working right. This is about £15K worth of kit (at new 2017 prices) so how come it sounds so lifeless?

Suspicion fell on the crappy jumpers I made up when I got the JM Lab speakers a year ago. My good friend and colleague Mr Geoff 'walpurgis' offered to knock me up some jumpers from bits he had lying around. At the same time another member offered me a set at a very reasonable price.

So yesterday two sets of jumpers arrived in the mail. I opened one at random and it was the set Geoff made up. Took out my efforts which were just little strips of generic 79 strand speaker cable and put the new ones in.

Holy mother of God what a difference! I was really expecting no change and just to eliminate another possible. In fact this has completely sorted the sound and I am now getting the full benefit of the new Sony CD player. The crunch is back, the sense of atmosphere and space, the sense that you are listening to instruments playing in an acoustic and not just 'sound'. Had 5 hour session playing all sorts just to make sure. No question about it, problem sorted.

The jumpers may be made up from bits but the build quality is excellent. If I'd bought them retail at fifty or even a hundred quid I would not be disappointed. Here they are in situ:



The speaker cable I also bought from Geoff, No idea what it is but it works fine, the sound is well balanced. Just need to do some fine tuning with speaker positioning and maybe a little room treatment on first reflection points since I think I can get better imaging than I currently have. Tinkering, in other words.

I know what you are thinking and you're right. Changing jumpers should not make such a difference. That is until you see how tarnished the ones I made up have become in just 12 months. Since they were just bare wire connectors, and probably not very good quality copper, they have degraded really badly. No wonder the sound went off for no discernible reason. Anyway, as always, attention to detail gentlemen, attention to detail!

[brian2957]

Nice one Martin ( and Geoff ) . Everything counts IMO , even those silly little jumper leads . Enjoy your music

[struth]

When I pulled out my cables from speaker the metal had cracked although still in one piece. when I replaced cables sound was improved. another connector was damaged too. one of my falls causing it I guess.

[Macca]

I think I was way too blasé about the jumpers. Tiny little bits of wire, as long as they conduct electricity what difference can it make? But as they tarnished the sound degraded quite obviously. These new ones are terminated with banana plugs at one end and spades at the other so the problem should not re-occur. Another hi-fi lesson learned the hard way for me

[walpurgis]

Glad you're sorted mate.

[Macca]

Yep well pleased, thanks again. Had an engineer here at 0830 this morning with a new router so I've got my broadband back as well. Happy days.

[jandl100]

Jumpers, I've a set of kimber 4tc if you'd like to try them, just out of interest, I'd want them back!

[Macca]

Cheers Jerry but I think I am sorted.

[Macca]

Okay bit of an update. Moved the speakers back about 6 inch and tweaked a little on the toe in. Much better for soundstaging and bass, surprising what a small adjustment can do.

the real turn-up is that I've been comparing the Sony X505ES against the Parasound CDi1000 and I think I prefer the Parasound. Quality wise there is not much of a difference, if any, but the Para seems to emphasise leading edges a bit more than the Sony which is just a little soft in a system that is already a little soft. By that I mean rim shots and hard struck snares don't whack you between the eyes like they can on some systems. They still don't with the Parasound in but there is just a little more bite to the sound that attracts my attention to the music.

I'm actually suspecting the Krell power amp as the cause of the slight softness. I've had the 'whack between the eyes' effect with all of the other kit in use so that pretty much rules that all out. Thing is the Krell does the harmonics so well, up there with the best I've heard like the Radford STA15. If this is the Achilles heel it isn't much of one.